Events support survivors

    A special luminaria ceremony during local American Cancer Society Relay For Life events will remember those lost to cancer and honor cancer survivors.
    Luminaria candles will be lit at these locations and dates to represent these individuals: North Fort Worth at LaGrave Field April 25-26, Arlington at UTA Maverick Stadium May 9-10, Northeast Tarrant County at Colleyville Heritage High School May 16-17, Saginaw at W.E. Boswell High School and Fort Worth at Fort Worth Country Day School.
    For information on other locations or dates, call 1-800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
    Luminaria candles can be purchased with a minimum donation of $10. All proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society.
    Relay For Life brings individuals concerned about cancer together. Cancer survivors wanting to register for the survivor ceremony or someone desiring to purchase a luminaria may do so by calling 817-737-9990.

   The American Cancer Society is holding the first bilingual Relay For Life in Tarrant County Friday.
   Cancer survivors and their loved ones are invited to walk, run or wheelchair to show that cancer can be survived, Nora Santana, Relay For Life chairperson, said.
   "Relay For Life is a way for us to honor survivors, spread the American Cancer Society's messages of prevention and early detection and raise funds for the fight against cancer," she said.
    Many Latino Americans are diagnosed with cancer when it is too late to stop it because they lack access to or the ability to pay for screening and treatment. Latino Americans also sometimes encounter barriers to information and support options that English speakers do not.
    The first bilingual Relay For Life is just one of the American Cancer Society's efforts to progress in the prevention and treatment of cancers in Latino Americans. The organization also has formed the Latino Advisory Council to promote cancer awareness among special populations and has an online Cancer Survivor's Network available in Spanish.
    Dr. Mark Clanton, president of the Texas Division Board of Directors, first vice president of the American Cancer Society and member of the society's subcommittee on diversity, believes something must be done to improve the chances of survival of non-English speaking cancer victims.
    "We can do something about this situation, and we are by working more closely with underserved communities to understand the barriers that contribute to health disparities, identifying the best community assets to tackle the problem and mobilizing them in creative strategies to eliminate these disparities," he said.
     The Relay For Life will start at 7 p.m. at LaGrave Field. All survivors can receive a free Relay For Life T-shirt or more information about the event by calling the American Cancer Society at 817-737-9990.